STAFF at Coventry Carers' Centre are pulling out all the stops to open a drop-in centre for youngsters during August.

Pauline Dye, chief executive of the centre in City Arcade, city centre, has temporarily abandoned plans to work hand-in-hand with the city council on the project.

While Ms Dye hopes the council's own social services project for young people will eventually merge with her charity, she says in the short term she just wants "to get on with it".

She has already secured grants totalling £270,000 from the National Lottery and Children in Need and now plans to take over the lease of the former Martins pet shop next door to the Carers' Centre offices.

Downstairs, there are plans to create an internet cafe open to all during shopping hours.

But the estimated 5,000 children aged between five and 18 who help care for relatives in the city would have free use of the facilities and be able to hold regular meetings upstairs.

Ms Dye said: "I still hope the council will eventually work in partnership with us and we are still in talks with them.

"However, there is an urgent need to get on with the project - especially with the summer holidays approaching.

"Workers at the insurance company Axa have already agreed to redecorate our new premises as part of a staff challenge. It's all very exciting."

She is now appealing for help from a carpenter and a plumber to make a downstairs toilet suitable for use by people in wheelchairs.